Rob Ford question on Jeopardy caps off week of return to late-night jokes

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TORONTO – A video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in a rambling, profane rant in a Jamaican accent has again propelled the city to worldwide infamy, in a week capped off by a crack cocaine-related question on Jeopardy.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given how much time American news stations and late-night comedians dedicated to Ford when he admitted in November that he had smoked crack cocaine, contestant Chip answered the question correctly.

Ford was asked Friday by reporters whether the question should have been worth more than $800, but he said he didn’t want to comment.

Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong, however, did want to comment, and bemoaned Toronto’s new reputation on the world stage.

“I’d just as soon not be on Jeopardy and that Toronto be recognized for something other than the mayor’s antics,” he told television station CP24.

“I’d like (it) to be known for other things, better things, like the CN Tower or our hockey teams rather than conduct unbecoming.”

Ford was a constant butt of jokes on late-night television in the U.S. in the fall when he ended five months of denials by admitting he had smoked crack cocaine, likely in one of his “drunken stupors.” He also made lewd remarks about oral sex on live TV and accidentally ran into and knocked down a female councillor at a heated council meeting.

The network comedians were at it again this week, capitalizing on the latest video clip, posted anonymously to YouTube.

The video shows an incoherent Ford — who had vowed last year that he had given up alcohol — using Jamaican swear words and other profanities, at one point aiming his curses at Toronto’s police chief.

On ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the host quipped that Ford had been quiet for a couple of months but just when he thought Ford couldn’t possibly “pull another nugget out of his bag of crazy,” joked Kimmel, “he gets drunk and speaks Jamaican.”

Kimmel also devoted time on his show to Ford the next night, mocking a crowded, jostling media scrum at city hall on Tuesday, in which reporters had attempted to question Ford about the video.

The comedian said he had come up with a new meme, which he called RobFording, and demonstrated by running a fake gauntlet of eager reporters.

David Letterman took some jabs at Ford, too — 10, to be exact.

He made the mayor the subject of one of his famous lists, which he titled, “Top 10 Things Rob Ford Might Be Saying in This Video.”

The list included, “This is one of those drunken stupors I referred to” and “Where’s your crack-smoking section?”

Ford’s week also included getting stuck in an elevator for 45 minutes on his way to a speech to the Economic Club of Canada.